Aboriginal Planning Forum Endorses Partnerships Proposal

Cape York Partnerships 3/8/00

The people of Cape York have paved the way for the full scale implementation of the Cape York Partnerships proposal. Around 200 Aboriginal representatives and key community leaders from around Cape York formally outlined the strategic direction for the partnerships arrangement between the State Government and Aboriginal communities.

Robbie Salee, ATSIC Peninsula Regional Council Chairman says "Today is what we have been working towards all year. We have always known what our problems are, and this year we have been looking at what direction we wanted to take with partnerships. Today, we have worked out how this is going to happen, through the Cape York partnerships."

This endorsement follows two days of workshops with community representatives and regional organisations including ATSIC Peninsula Regional Council, and key regional organisations including the Cape York Land Council, Balkanu Cape York Development Corporation and Apunipima Health Council.

Michael Ross, Director of Gungarde Aboriginal Corporation and Ookalo Leader says - "We all understand the problems facing aboriginal people on Cape York, what we want to do is take back the responsibility to sort our own problems through initiatives like the Family Income Management trials."

The Family Income Management Proposal is about reintroducing families to a 'real' community economy based on individual and family arrangements. This initiative is aimed at assisting individuals and families to grasp the economic opportunities they have to break away from the welfare dependency.

Alan Creek, Chairman of Coen Regional Aboriginal Corporation and Kaanju traditional owner, says - "Cape York people need to get off the social security merry-go-round and support and advance Cape York Partnerships. Its time we back each other and participate in the real economy on Cape York and set up real jobs."

This meeting leads up to the official hand back of the site known as Old Strathgordon Station, to the traditional owners, by the Indigenous Land Corporation at 1 pm Thursday the 3 August.

Although this extremely remote site does not have land line phone access, it does have satellite and ISDN access. Broadcast quality video footage of the handover and site shots will be available on Friday morning, 4 August 2000.